Port Security

The U.S. Coast Guard issued Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 9-02 entitled Guidelines for Port Security Committees and Port Security Plans Required for U.S. Ports Building on its Maritime Homeland Security Mission, the Coast Guard Headquarters has advised its field units on how to structure the Port Security Committees and how to develop Port Security Plans. By February 28, 2003, each Captain of the Port (COTP) is to conduct a preliminary port level security assessment in conjunction with the Port Security Committee. The assessment will provide the basis for finalizing the Port Security Plan.
Source: HK Law

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Press Release stating that agreements will be signed on October 21, 2003 formalizing two local port security committees for northeast Florida ports. The port security committees will develop Area Maritime Security Plans and conduct large-scale exercises relating to maritime security.
Source: HK Law

AAPA Concerned Federal Budget Cuts May Impact Port Security Progress.
Port and industry leaders from throughout the Western Hemisphere will pause on Sunday, Sept. 11, as part of the 100th Annual Convention of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) in Seattle (Sept. 11-15), to remember those tragically lost in the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil 10 years ago. Among those lost were 84 industry colleagues from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who perished at the

The President’s FY 2005 request includes $46 million in port security grants to be administered by the Office of Domestic Preparedness.
The Maritime Transportation Security Act authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, to make port security grants to port authorities, facility operators, and state and local governments. These grants may be used to correct vulnerabilities in port security and ensure compliance with Area Maritime Transportation

Most port security discussions focus
on a single challenge -- how to monitor container-ship cargos to ensure
that exotic weapons -- nuclear, chemical or biological -- do not enter the United States.
But that issue, while important, is only one of many in port security.
Although compelling, it ignores the more basic fact that ports themselves
are complex systems -- and like all complex systems, they are vulnerable to

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma have received a combined $4.12 million award in port security grants through the Urban Area Security Initiative of the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP).
In separate funding announced Thursday, June 12, the two ports received a combined $18.63 million for Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) and through the Transportation Security Administration's Port Security Grant Program. The $4.12 million ODP award boosts recent port facilities and cargo security grants

Significantly more federal funding assistance is urgently needed for U.S. port security, testified port industry witness Noel Cunningham today at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Representing the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Cunningham is Director of Operations and Emergency Management of the Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the U.S

In the nearly five years since 9/11, America’s seaports and the federal government have joined forces to make major gains in fortifying and hardening port facilities against intruder attack. “Public port authorities have made seaport security their top priority since September 11, 2001,” said Kurt Nagle, American Association of Port Authorities’ president and CEO. With the combined efforts of public ports, initiatives of federal agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

In late December, the United States Senate approved a 95-page bill to enhance security at our nation's ports. Action on counterpart legislation in the House may take place in a few weeks. S. 1214 is entitled the "Port and Maritime Security Act of 2001." Its primary sponsor is Senator Hollings of South Carolina.
Provisions of interest include: (1) a private sector advisory committee to help the U.S. Secretary of Transportation address port and maritime security issues; (2) security

The Department of Homeland Security released its summary of the FY2006 Infrastructure Grant Programs. Included therein is an allocation of $168m for port security grants. The port security grants will be made for specific projects at 101 eligible ports (which together handle 95% of the nation’s foreign waterborne commerce). Public sector applicants must provide at least 25% of the total project cost, while private sector applicants must provide at least 50% of the total project cost

Conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argued for increased U.S. port cybersecurity in a report published online this week.
"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and maritime stakeholders need to stay ahead of [cybersecurity] risks in order to keep trade flow

In 2015, the Port of Houston Authority has budgeted $275 million for various capital improvement projects. About $184 million is being allocated to its container terminals for continuing development of Bayport and modernization at Barbours Cut

Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest maritime port and the 16th largest in the United States, has elected to implement PlateSmart's ARES enterprise license plate recognition-based video analytics system.
Overseen by the Tampa Port Authority

The European Commission is taking action against Spain before the Court of Justice of the European Union, because 20 Spanish ports have yet to adopt and implement the port security plan.
The main objective of European port security policy is to provide protection for ships and port facilities

Kelvin Hughes is launching and demonstrating a host of new products and services at SMM 2014, including a port security radar system, specialist mission radome radar and displays, Voyage Data Recorders and the latest version of ChartCo PassageManager software.

Peel Ports operators of the Port of Liverpool, says it has been accredited by US Customs and Border Protection as a certified partner in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) programme.
The accreditation system validates ‘best in class’ security and detection

Boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, Moose Boats, said it has delivered a M2-35 Catamaran Patrol Boat to New York City Police Department’s Harbor Unit.
The 35 foot all-aluminum catamaran vessel is a sister ship to NYPD’s three existing Moose Boats M2- 35

The Port of Hueneme announced that it will receive more than $400,000 in funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Fiscal Year 2014 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP).
The funds will help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism

Canaveral Port Authority will utilize the $1.6 million awarded from 2014 Port Security Grant Funding for a new port-wide cyber-security program, software that integrates existing security systems and resources into a single uniformed platform and CCTV expansion into new cargo facilities

Port Manatee has been awarded a $1,837,500 security grant, allowing the port to proceed with three significant projects.
The award, the second-highest for any Florida port in the latest round of grants offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday, July 14, approved an $858 million budget for the Port of Long Beach in the upcoming fiscal year, with two-thirds of the spending set aside for a robust building and modernization program.

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been awarded a contract from Bellingham Fire Department in Washington State for the construction of a M2-38 Catamaran CBRN Emergency Response and Recovery Vessel.

Kongsberg Norcontrol IT (KNC) will provide the core maritime surveillance, voice communications, port management and port community technologies for the new Algerian national Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS). KNC is part of a consortium with Ericsson

Port of Long Beach officials welcomed a new addition to their small fleet of boats this week with the delivery of a refurbished and retrofitted landing craft that will strengthen their emergency recovery capabilities.
Donated to the Port by the U.S